Its cumulative growth from April to December 2015-16 stood at 1.9 percent, as compared to 5.7 percent during the corresponding period of 2014-15.

Out of the eight core industries, fertilizers and coal reported healthy output numbers. However, production of oil, natural gas, and steel dwindled in the period under review.

Electricity recorded 2.7 percent change in December 2015 as compared with 4.8 percent in December 2014. Its cumulative index during April to December 2015-16 decreased by six percent over the corresponding period of previous year.

Distilling of refinery products, the third most important component as per weightage, increased by 2.1 percent in December.

Extraction of crude oil, which has a 5.21 percent weightage in IIP, fell by 4.1 percent during the month under review in comparison with 1.4 percent decline of December 2014.